Brazilian MayorsEdited by City Mayors' Brazil Correspondent

26 August 2011: Brazil is a federal republic consisting of 26 states and a federal district.The country also has almost 5,000 self-governing municipalities.Government in Brazil’s municipalities is structured with a separation maintained between the executive in the form of a mayor, and the unicameral legislative city council. Elections for mayor require a victor with more than 50 per cent of the vote, with the exception of cities with less than 200,000 inhabitants. In contrast to the federal and state level, local elections are held in the second year between presidential, congressional and state elections.